Hong Kong
by psychicchameleon
Summary: Street lights tower above me and not a single star is visible in the night sky. Music and movement surround my silhouette. My eyes search the sidewalks, looking for any sign of my new partner, but he's nowhere to be found. Right now, I am hidden. I am a pavement artist becoming nothing but a shadow. I am the Chameleon, and I am on a mission.
1. Lights

**A/N: New story! Yay…. Maybe. I hope you like it! Reviews are appreciated, but not required. Here we go:**

Street lights tower above me and not a single star is visible in the night sky. Music and movement surround my silhouette. Right now, I am hidden. I am a pavement artist becoming nothing but a shadow. I am the Chameleon.

Every person in the area catches my eye for a second, and then is gone. My target is yet to be found. A food vendor loudly promotes his products across the blacktop. Still, no sign of _him_.

I change position; move myself next to the dark window of a shop that sells Pharmaceuticals. The 'open' sign is off with only the windows above to shed light on the 4-letter word. For a few short seconds I am reminded of Josh, and those seconds are not wasted.

I feel his presence behind me, using my memory as a distraction. It's not the first time my memory has been my downfall.

He twists my arm and silently pulls me into the alley. His movements are disguised by the crowds on the sidewalk.

"You shouldn't be here." He whispers.

"I don't think that that is your decision to make." I snap back at him. He drops his hold on my arm, and I turn to face him.

"Besides, you shouldn't be here either." I throw back into his face. His green eyes bore into mine.

"Gallagher Girl, I mean it." His arm moves to my shoulder, but I shrug it off.

"Since when do you have any say in my life Zach? _You_ left _me._" I let the words sink in. He has no right trying to protect me anymore. After senior year, he broke off our not-so-official-relationship.

"You know that I had missions to go on. I still do." He pleads.

"You don't have to justify yourself. I just don't need you thinking you can tell me what to do. I'm a big girl, I can handle myself."

"You just allowed yourself to be taken into an alley!"

"Key word: Allowed. I knew who you were and I could've taken you out if I had wanted." I try to explain.

"What are you even doing in Hong Kong?" I ask him, suddenly taking in the fact that Asia is not particularly close to the United States.

"I'm here to meet my mission partner." He says blankly.

My face darkens, and I know he senses it too.

"Why are _you_ here Cammie?" He asks, suddenly intrigued by the situation at hand.

"To meet _my_ mission partner." I say, dread filling my statement.

"It looks like we're going to have plenty of time to catch up." He smirks, handing me a case file.

"I didn't read over yours, I would've if I'd known it'd be you." His cockiness is back.

"What's yours say?" I ask, feigning interest.

"I'm a billionaire investor from America looking to partner up with a metals company in Hong Kong. We have reason to believe that this metals company is creating nuclear weapons with intent to use them on Americans. Obviously, this is an issue." He summarizes.

I read my cover. I am his best employee and am here to learn the ropes to take over the company. My mission objective is to gain access to the mansion of Ramone Lexington by way of honey-pot. He is an American entrepreneur, but most likely moved his HQ to Hong Kong to avoid the American government. We will be moving between America and Hong Kong as needed, as it is undetermined where the nuclear weapons are being made.

There are some other facts on the sheet of paper that I quickly memorize, knowing they could be the difference between life and death. Then, I take out a lighter from my ridiculously designer bag from Macey and burn it until the ashes fall onto the damp pavement in the alley.

"I'll show you where the mansion is where we'll be staying." He pulls my arm toward a shiny black Maserati. My jaw drops a fraction of an inch.

"Za-" I start, but he cuts me off.

"I'm a billionaire, remember? There's a Land Rover and a few more cars back at the house."

We drive off, and I forget I'm on a mission for a few glorious minutes. The mansion is huge. Three levels, marble floors, and a lighted water fountain indoors. Who needs a water fountain?

"Our rooms are next door to each other; conjoined, actually. In your closet you'll find all the clothing you'll need, stocked by the head of the Department of Cover and Disguise." In our heads I know we are both thinking the same thing: Macey.

"McHenry stocked my closet. I could tell by the Justin Bieber T-Shirts hanging in the corner." I chuckle a little bit, knowing Macey and her distaste for Zach.

"Don't laugh too hard now; _she_ stocked your closet as well. It's probably full of skimpy, designer, rich girl clothes. And, those are the _only_ clothes that you have now." He smirks at the end of his sentence. I'm now 23 years old and still am used as a human doll by my best friends.

"I can design a Hazmat suit out of nothing but some thread and a Louis Vuitton Party dress. I think I can solve a wardrobe situation." With that, I walk up the stairs to find my room.

**Reviews are appreciated, but not required! Thanks J**

**Psychic_Chameleon**


	2. Playing With Fire

**A/N: This chapter is slightly longer than the first one! I want to thank everyone who followed, favorite, viewed, or reviewed! It really made my day that you guys like this story! Here's chapter two:**

I gently awoke to the sound of breakfast being made in the kitchen. Quickly I dressed in comfortable sweats, and went downstairs to meet with Zach about the plan for today. If only this was how the morning_ really _went.

In reality, I awakened to a fire alarm blaring.

"Zach! What's going on?" I scream, hastily pulling on the first article of clothing I see in the closet. Napotine patches and a gun find their way into my hands. Exiting the room, I move to the balcony overlooking the entire first level. I'm not prepared for what I see.

Hysterical laughing takes over. Zach, the 'greatest spy that ever lived' is standing with a bucket of water, attempting to extinguish a fire that has started consuming the toaster. I step down the stairs and towards the catastrophe.

"Would you like assistance?" I ask, reaching to throw away the now soggy _and _burnt pieces of toast from the counter.

"I have it under control," Zach mumbles, trying to save whatever dignity he has left. I stifle another giggle while extends his arm past me to grab a large towel hanging on a rack.

"You're almost as bad a cook as my mom." He turns to face me.

"You should be grateful for this," he gestures to the bucket of water, "I was going to use that to wake you up." His emerald eyes light up to go with his smirk.

"Didn't Bex tell you about the time she tried water? I half-consciously used the Tavares maneuver on her and she couldn't compete in P&E drills for over a week." I smile innocently at him. "I wouldn't recommend it."

* * *

I step into the shower and take a moment to relax. We have yet to interact with supposed nuclear weapons dealers and already our cover house has almost caught fire. Without thinking, my mind starts to go over strategies and methods to get our investigation started.

Upon further inspection of my wardrobe, I decide that while I love Macey to death, I also absolutely hate her clothing choices. She doesn't 'believe' in purchasing clothes for comfort, which is the main standard I have when buying my outfits.

**Pros and Cons of having Macey McHenry stock your wardrobe:**

**Pro: All of the clothing is water, wind, bullet, and fire resistant (which could come in handy after the events of this morning)**

**Con: The clothing itself is very durable; however, most of this clothing shows a ****_lot _****of skin. Moral of the story: Hopefully I don't get shot in the leg.**

**Pro: CIA resources are great, but CIA ****_and_**** McHenry resources result in everything a girl could ever ask for.**

**Con: Some of these outfits I would never ask for, and this gives Macey an opportunity to make me wear said outfits.**

* * *

Making my way downstairs I see Zach perched at the table, papers spread around him. He looks deep in thought. I sit in the chair across from him.

"So, how do you propose we get things started?" I ask.

"Well, I _was_ contemplating that." He pauses, being his usual cryptic self.

"And?" I urge after a period of silence.

"Mr. Lexington was kind enough to do that for us." Once again I am confused, until he slides a piece of paper in my direction. While taking a closer look, I realize that the paper is actually an invitation.

"He's throwing us a welcome party?" I ask even though I just read about it.

"That's what it says," he responds, speaking to me like he would a child.

"What's the plan?" I say, motioning to the floor plans and guest list sitting in front of him.

"You ask a lot of questions Gallagher Girl." His eyes are scanning the papers.

"Just tell me what you have so far," I say, my voice growing impatient.

"We play nice and get to know everyone at the party. Try to get as much information, but our main goal is to start to gain trust." He finally looks up at me, "You have another job, however. I'll start to talk to other employees and friends, but you need to attract the attention of Lexington himself. Channel your inner Macey and get him to fall for you."

"Why can't you honey-pot the bad guy?" I ask rhetorically.

"As much as you love my perfectly toned body, I don-"

"Oh shut up." I cut him off, but he just smiles and continues on with the plan.

"We shouldn't need to do a lot of prep for this. Get in, chat it up, get out. We'll leave at six to give us an hour for surveillance before we get there."

"Anything you need me to do?" He just shakes his head and stands up.

"You should probably start getting ready about now." I look at the clock on the wall and realize that it's already four-thirty.

"How-"

"You didn't wake up until two o'clock sweetheart. That's why I was going to resort to the bucket of water." An annoyed look crosses my face as he brings up his earlier threat. We move towards the staircase and he whispers in my ear,

"Don't forget to wear something… attractive." I just roll my eyes and regret the day I agreed to this mission.

* * *

A wide selection of dresses looms in front of me. Deep purples give way to vibrant greens, some with bows and others that are covered in glitter. I determined that the more uncomfortable I am in the dress, the better it is for the mission.

After nearly an hour of trying on dresses, I find one that has every single detail I despise. It is a black dress with a scoop neck that doesn't drop very low, but a back that falls past my shoulder blades. The sleeves reach down to beneath my elbow. Slightly below mid-thigh the solid, form-fitting fabric changes to fringe that flails against my leg.

After managing to only burn my hand slightly by curling my hair, I put on a flashy silver necklace and bold makeup. With no place to conceal weapons, I find a silver clutch and pack it with napotine patches, lipstick (explosive and non-explosive), a small knife, Hong Kong currency, and my new untraceable smart phone. The glittery bobby pin in my hair contains a tracking system and one of the jewels in my necklace doubles as a camera with audio. I slide a comms unit into my ear effortlessly and slip on a strappy pair of black heels for the final touches.

After years of training in the CIA, and being best friends with Bex and Macey, I have mastered the skill of walking in heels. I'm able to walk down the stairs without breaking a heel or falling on my face.

"You don't look hideous," Zach says, renewing his comment from the Gallagher ball. He's wearing a new suit and his hair is gelled. I walk over to fix a piece of hair that has fallen out of place and smell the familiar aroma that I had missed from high school. As I move toward the door he grabs me and pulls me close.

"Be careful," he whispers, referring to my future seduction of a criminal.

"I always am." I retort and spin towards the door. The rhythm of my heels on the marble floor become the only sound in the large mansion. Once in the garage, I step into the Maserati. I listen for the hum of the engine and then the roar of the accelerator. We speed off down the road and don't look back.

**You know the drill :) Reviews are appreciated, but not required! Thank you to all my readers!**

**Psychic_Chameleon**


	3. Evacuate the Dance Floor

**A/N: Here's chapter tres! Enjoy (hopefully)!**

When we arrive at the venue, we take time to do a thorough sweep of the ballroom and courtyard. A total of sixteen bugs and cameras are placed in the ballroom, and twelve find hiding spots outside. No nuclear weapons were detected, but both of our phones are set for the Research and Development Department to send us coded messages in case they are brought in during the party.

We find ourselves in the air ducts scanning the rooms for any threats, while also checking the exits. Our friends at Langley already sent us floor plans for the entire building; but furniture, locks, and alarms are all risk factors in a spotless escape.

The claustrophobia begins to set in as we shimmy further away from where we entered. My hands start to burn from the heat, but I push myself onward. Being up here so close to Zach reminds me of the train during our junior year, and the incident that ended in my falling onto him and into Macey's room. You can bet that Macey held that over my head for the rest of my entire life.

Suddenly he stops, and puts a finger to his lips. I translate a conversation from Cantonese.

"Did you see that American boy earlier?" One girl asks. She sounds like she's around twenty years old. I raise my eyebrow in suspicion, wondering if they caught him doing something that would give his cover away.

"The one with the green eyes?" My heart pounds, knowing that they are talking about Zach. I pray to God, hoping he hasn't been made.

"Isn't he so attractive? I swear my heart melted a bit." I exhale and look up at my mission partner who now has a triumphant grin on his face. My hand moves to smack his foot in an effort to make him keep moving, but his ego has somehow managed to increase even more.

"Gallagher Girl, I want to hear the rest of the conversation," He smirks at me, "That is, unless you're jealous." Words fail me and I am unable to come up with a witty comeback. Instead, I move my body to push past him in the vent. My movement is countered as he pulls me toward him instead.

"Are you jealous?" His breath tickles my neck. Two can play at this game.

"What's there to be jealous of?" I say, making a point of looking sweetly into his eyes, my face inches away from his. He's so close, too close for our own good.

Memories come back in a rush. The exchange. The ball. Brush passes. Our first kiss. Boston. The train. The van. The jacket. Catherine. Rome. The list. All of them lead up to him leaving me. Graduation night. The next morning, his jacket on my bed with a note in the pocket. Two words: Be careful. Tears. Heartbreak. A flashback of me on a bridge looking down at the water below, jacket in hand. My arm moves to throw, but I can't will myself to do it.

"Gallagher girl?" He asks, his teasing tone gone.

"Why'd you leave?" My nearly inaudible voice quivers ever so slightly, but I know he picked up on it.

For once, Zach Goode is at a loss for words. His face is solemn, grim even. He moves to speak but the words are never heard. We fall to the ground for the second time.

His body breaks my fall, but within seconds we are up and scanning the area for criminals and civilians. None. We're lucky.

Zach picks up the small grate that gave way and moves it to its original spot.

"We should stop hiding in contained spaces together." I force a smile, trying to lighten the situation. He checks his ridiculously expensive watch, even though we both know it reads 6:50.

"No kidding." Zach says, his hand finding mine and pulling me towards the door. A blank expression, his mask, is the only emotion he shows. Once outside we move towards the ballroom that we've studied for hours on end.

The ballroom is spectacular. We are fashionably late, and are welcomed by numerous guests. Zach translates for me, as my cover only allows me to speak basic Cantonese. Attention is revolving around us as this is _our_ welcome party, and I am uncomfortable. Shadows are my strength, the spotlight my weakness.

"Madeleine, would you care to dance?" Zach offers his arm. He pulls me close, perfecting the steps we learned at Gallagher. Other guests turn to blurs as I spin gracefully. Lexington moves our way, a smile in place.

"Mr. Howell, Madeleine; I'm so glad you could make it." He flashes his perfectly straight teeth and talks in English. Zach extends his arm to shake his hand.

"It's such a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Lexington." Lexington shakes his head.

"Please, call me Ramone." He reaches for my hand.

"You, Miss Bridges, are stunning." I allow my face to turn pink as I thank him.

"Jeramiah, if I may call you that, may I have the next dance with Madeleine?" He nods his head at the use of his first name and then hands me over to Ramone.

"She's all yours," he gives a smile, but I feel him tense up as Ramone puts his hand on my back.

He moves swiftly, and we whirl around the dance floor. I see Zach dancing with a blonde in a purple dress out of the corner of my eye.

"Is there anything going on between you and Mr. Howell?"

"No, our relationship is purely business related." I state, clinging to my cover.

"I see. A beautiful woman like you must have _some_ kind of man in her life." He coaxes.

"I've been so busy with work, I haven't had a lot of time for a boyfriend." I say, putting a hint of sadness into my tone.

"Well, in that case…" he trails off, staring at my lips. His head moves down and I channel all my willpower into not gagging. I smile at him, my hatred buried behind a façade.

Being a spy has its perks, but as I move my head to kiss him for a second time, I decide that I hate my line of work.

**Reviews are appreciated! You don't have to if you don't want to though :)**

**psychic_chameleon**


	4. Secrets

**Chapter 4! Enjoy:**

The party goes well into the night, Zach effortlessly engaging in conversation with random guests and me faking smiles toward The Subject. Claustrophobia sets in relatively early and I am anything but comfortable dancing with Ramone.

"Miss Bridges, you have been a delightful dance partner this evening, but I am afraid I need to talk business with Jeramiah for a while. I'm sure this isn't the last time we will be seeing each other." He winks at me. His arm is removed from my back and he moves across the room toward Zach. My lungs allow themselves to fill with air for what seems like the first time tonight.

I say 'hello' to a few of the guests, sticking to my cover. When they try to carry on a conversation, I have to pretend to not understand. The crowd has thinned over the course of the night, but still I find the ballroom stuffy and warm. Slipping through the door unnoticed, I walk into the courtyard.

Cool air swirls around me as I take a seat on a wooden bench. Stars grace the sky, and I let myself get caught up in finding constellations. When the breeze turns cold my arms involuntarily wrap themselves around me.

Moments later I am accompanied by another figure on the small bench.

"Shouldn't you be inside, Miss Bridges?" He asks.

"It's too hot in there. I'm surprised that you aren't in there yourself." Zach looks at my shivering arms, and removes his suit jacket. I start to protest, but he waves it off.

"I can't have my best employee getting sick." He says while wrapping it around me. His green eyes sparkle in the moonlight. Silence consumes us, the only sounds being the rustle of palm branches.

Zach is the first to break it.

"We should probably get home, we have a big day ahead of us." I stand and follow him back inside. He says his good-byes and I wave. The Subject is nowhere in sight, and I am concerned. As much as I dislike him, having him in my sight means control. For all we know he could just be in the bathroom. The thing is, he could also be aiming nuclear missiles toward New York.

"Jeramiah, have you seen Mr. Lexington? I was hoping to see him before we leave." He understood the real meaning behind the statement.

The Subject walked in seconds later, a smile on his face as he approached us.

"It was so good to meet you two, and I can't wait to see the both of you tomorrow." I smile politely. The space between us decreases as he moves to whisper in my ear.

"I hope you're as ravishing in business attire as you are in that gown." He smiles at Zach one final time and then disappears into the crowd.

* * *

Once in the safety of the house, I kick off my heels and immediately find a spot to sit down.

"What did you and Lexington talk about after he left me?" I ask Zach, curious to see if we got anywhere in our investigation.

"We talked about tomorrow's information; location and time. If things go well he'll give me more information about the company." He answers, finding a spot next to me on the couch.

"Do you think he means telling you about the weapons?"

"Hopefully. The only way we'll bring him down is if he lets us close enough to infiltrate," he looks over to me, "And if I don't get him to tell his secrets this way, you may have to resort to alternative measures."

He tries to say it jokingly, but I see the tiniest hint of darkness in his eyes. I can't help it as the girl in me gets angry about the jealousy showing on his face.

"Zach. You never told me why you left that night." I can tell I hit a sore spot as his face changes to one of regret.

"Why do you want to know about it so bad? It's not like we were even together or anything." His words hit me like a brick. I stand up and move away from the sofa.

"It's like you're bipolar. One minute you act like no one else is allowed to have me, and the next you don't care. What is your deal? You know, I cried my eyes out when I found your jacket. I thought you cared about me. I guess I was wrong." I channel all my willpower into not letting him see me cry.

"I left you that night and I would do it again." His voice is steady, no hint of a lie whatsoever. He sounds strong, but his eyes look like he's hiding something.

"Besides, I seem to remember you leaving behind without even so much as a note." He says, his tone bitter.

"I didn't want you to get hurt! I actually cared about you. Do you know how hard it was to leave you behind? The only way I made it through was because I knew that you wouldn't be killed because of me." I defend my actions during the summer before senior year.

"Have you ever thought that maybe I know exactly how that feels?" I hadn't realized it, but we were only inches apart now.

"What are you trying to say Zach?"

"I left you that night and I would do it again." His voice is lower, almost a whisper. Our noses are almost touching.

I look into his eyes. Anger and sadness are hidden inside the green orbs.

"And don't ever say that I don't care about you." He walks upstairs and leaves me alone to try to decipher the mystery that is Zach Goode.

**Reviews are appreciated, but only if you want to! (I think that's my new motto.)**

**Thanks!**

**-psychicchameleon**


	5. It's Time

**I'm really sorry about the time it took me to come up with this update, it took a while to get it the way I wanted it and I hope you like it! Here we go:**

After a long period of sitting alone, I walked up the marble steps. My hand reached the knob to my room; but instead of turning it, my feet carried me down the hall. Knuckles white, I knocked on the door.

"Zach? Can I come in?" He didn't answer, instead, his face appeared as the door opened. We stood there for what felt like hours, just breathing. The door opened wider and he motioned for me to come in.

His room was spotless. Sure, we'd only been there for a few days, but not even a tie was out of place.

"Old habits die hard." He said, reading my thoughts. Silence followed, something that had become common for us.

"I- I should go." I stammer. His fingers brush against my arm, sending flames up my flesh.

"Cammie, I really do care." The sentence hangs in the air, and he looks like he wants to say more, but doesn't.

"If you care, then why did you leave me? Why did you pull at my heart and deny ever being in a relationship? I don't even care that you never wanted to be my boyfriend. Zach, I was scared. I was on my own, expected to go to the CIA or MI6 with a terrorist organization following my every move. Once the missions started, I didn't have Gallagher to fall back on. Liz is sequestered in the labs for days at a time, Bex is always in England. The only person I see on a regular basis is Macey. I needed you Zach, and you weren't there, so explain to me how you were caring for me." I finish, my voice hoarse and dead.

"Gallagher girl, I wanted to be with you, and leaving you was one of the hardest things I'd done. I have very few people in my life that care about me. I never had a mom or dad. I never had a family. Almost everyone in my life has given up on me. You are the last person I would ever want to leave behind."

"Then why did you?" I ask, my voice coming out more broken than I thought.

''It's classified." His short answer filled me with anger that I didn't know existed.

"Tomorrow, we are going to get Lexington to talk about the arms dealing; and after everything is wrapped up, I'll never see you again. This time, I'll be grateful to be done with you."

I slam the door behind me.

* * *

The breakfast table is silent, both of us refusing to meet the others eyes. It feels like a dishrag has been shoved down my throat. I just want to be done, I want to go home.

Wordlessly, I slip on my heels and smooth my skirt. The click of my shoes are louder today; anger and determination hidden in the only sound I've made this morning. I take the Malibu, leaving him to the assortment of cars in the garage.

Time stops for a second as I sit in the unmoving car. It sounds dramatic, but today's events could change lives. Howell Incorporated had talked with Empire Metals over email and text, and yesterday the heads of both met in person for the first time, but today was the day that mattered. Today was the _real _first impression. If Lexington so much as saw Zach flinch, or if I breathed a word of Cantonese she shouldn't know, this mission would end badly. Even if we played our covers perfectly Ramone might not trust us. A lot of things had to go right for this to work, and I wanted it to work.

Being here with Zach was something I never expected. I thought that never again would I see him, even though Liz's math proved otherwise. The way he toyed with her emotions was unbearable. One minute I want him to wrap his arm around me, and in the next I wished he would just leave me again. No one could play with my emotions the way he could.

The thing that got me the most was the fact that he lied to me. He never told me why he left, he just averted the subject by giving vague answers. First he would tell her they were never in a relationship, making it seem like she was at fault for assuming too much. Then, he told her to never dare questioning his care for her. What kind of game was he playing?

_A game that ends now. _She thought to herself. She was done waiting, done being used as one of his pawns. Cammie Morgan was completely in love with him, and he was playing her. Maybe he did care a little bit. He obviously didn't care enough to not leave, or to even give her the truth about the reasoning behind it. He definitely didn't care enough to love her back.

The hum of a car engine brought her back to reality. Keys turned in the ignition, and she followed the navy mustang out of the ridiculous garage.

* * *

"Mr. Howell, you and Ms. Bridges will share the office three doors to the left." He nods at the receptionist, flashing her a gracious smile.

"We're going to have to talk eventually, you know." He says inside the office, his voice is soft and cautious.

"I'm well aware of the fact. My job is important to me, and I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize it or my country." I say, my vocals soft yet bitter.

A name-plate reads 'Madeleine Bridges', underneath the lettering is the word, 'investor'. It sits atop a small desk with a computer monitor resting off to the side. The office is small, only being intended for a place to contact our company back in America. Really, we will be attending meetings most of the time and when we aren't doing that, we observe the company. The 'folks back home' want to make sure their money is being spent well.

Someone knocks on the door. Ramone peeks his head in.

"Glad to see you making yourself at home. You can call my assistant as soon as you are ready for a tour around the warehouses." He says, white teeth smiling the entire time.

"Actually, if now would work for you;" Zach says, glancing over at me, "I think we're ready."

"Well then, right this way." He ushers us through the door and down the hall. Our business suits seem out of place as we reach a door with yellow cautionary stickers all over it.

It's time.

**Reviews are very much appreciated, I love every review I get, but don't feel like you have to :) Thanks!**


	6. Pulling (Heart) Strings

**I am so sorry for the time it took me to put up this chapter. I have been road-tripping around the U.S. for the past two weeks in an RV without WiFi, but I'm home now! So.. here's chapter six:**

For once in my life, I am not relieved that the door didn't reveal illegal guns or nuclear weapons. The workers sported masks, but only to protect themselves from the flames and sparks that erupted from the welding stations.

Red hot liquids poured into molds and onto conveyor belts and every little detail was in place. They were dealing with professionals. _Or maybe they really are just a metals company. _

"I'm afraid that for obvious safety reasons, I am unable to take you any farther. The floor is only accessible to employees with full protection gear on. This is as close as you can get." We are standing on a platform that is several hundred feet from the stained concrete floor with only an aerial view of what could possibly double as an illegal weapons manufacturing plant.

"It would not be possible at all? Mr. Lexington, with my regards to your safety procedures, I am going to have ask that we see the entire plant. I like to know everything about my investments before I go through with them. Surely you understand this, being a man of business yourself." Zach's words are articulated perfectly in the manner of a young billionaire; they are equal parts business, arrogance, and cool indifference. The different tones hint at the underlying message- they show he is interested in the company, but also that he has far more options for investment and will not stay interested for long if he doesn't get his way.

"I am very sorry Mr. Howell, but I would have to pull many strings to allow you down there. Now, if you are to commit to Hong Kong metals it would be a different story…" He looked over to Zach. "Are you planning on committing to this company?"

"I am not prepared to give a definite answer yet, but I can tell you that I am very interested. However, I would prefer being able to talk to the workers and see the floor myself. I will not invest in a company with safety hazards or poor management."

Ramone seemed to contemplate something. "I like you Jeramiah, and I admire your unwillingness to back down. You know, I think I'll talk to the board and see if they can't let you see the whole operation. It would be a shame of you took your resources elsewhere, I have a feeling that you will like this investment."

Zach removed his hand from the pocket of his perfectly tailored suit to shake hands. "I have good feelings about this investment too, Ramone. I think this could be just the investment Howell Industries is looking for." He offers a wide smile.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a very important conference call that I must make. I trust that Madeleine here can finish up this meeting." He shakes Ramone's hand one more time. "It was a pleasure doing business with you." And then he's out the door, leaving me alone with a likely terrorist.

"Here is my card with my office phone number on it. I hope that you will call it if you need any assistance with anything. I'll run the plan by the safety board and have my secretary get in touch with you as soon as they reach a decision." His arm moves around my shoulders to guide me back into the beige hallway. "My office is at the end of the hallway, I do hope that you come to visit sometime." He smiles.

"Is there anything else you would like to go over, Miss Bridges?"

"I think that covers everything. Thank you for your time this morning Mr. Lexington." I shake his hand.

"I'll walk you to your office." He snakes an arm around my waist that sends shivers up my spine. The walk is entirely too long but I am just grateful that he doesn't attempt to make conversation.

Zach is visible through the glass window to our office, deep in conversation with the people on the other line. I wonder who the other voices really are, seeing as his company is fictional.

"Remember to call if you have any trouble," he assures before leaving me to the only person I want to talk to less than Ramone. Zach.

He carried on his phone call trying to convince the bugs that were most likely listening in on the entire conversation. I finally took the time to look down at the crisp white card in my hand. I studied the black ink that marked his name, email, and office phone number.

"Is he falling for you?" I jumped, realizing the call had ended and Zach was standing behind me. The card fluttered to the floor, showing a set of numbers. He bent down to pick it up and examined it.

"I guess that answers my question." I snatched the card from him to look at the phone number written in pen, and the words _call me _underneath.

I picked up my phone from the table and dialed the number.

"You're actually going to call it?" He asks, incredulously.

"It's my mission, so of course I'm going to call it. Do you have a prob-" I cut off my sentence as the person on the other end of the line picked up.

"Hello?"

"Hi, it's Madeleine Bridges, I saw your cell number on the back of the card."

"I was hoping you'd call this number. Do you need help with anything?"

"No, everything is fantastic."

"Wonderful. As you probably suspected, I didn't leave my personal number for purely business reasons." His voice had a hint of flirtation in it.

"Oh? Why did you leave your number then?" I say, returning the flirty tone.

"I was hoping that if you called, then you weren't interested in me as just a business relationship either."

"And what if I wasn't interested in anything but that sense of relationship?"

"I would be very lonely at dinner tonight."

"Are you asking me out Ramone?"

"I am."

"Well, I accept,"

"I was hoping you would. See you at six Miss Bridges, and wear something nice." _Click. _

**Reviews are awesome and appreciated but not necessary. Thank you so much for reading! You are all amazing!**

**-psychicchameleon**


	7. Too Close

**I'm back with another chapter! There's a lot of tension in this one because I really wanted to write an argument scene. Here's chapter seven!**

"More chardonnay miss?" The waiter asks kindly, a bottle in his hand. A fake puzzled look appears on my face and Ramone politely answers for me in Cantonese. I smile at the waiter as he refills my glass.

"My Cantonese is still very bad. I guess I should probably start learning." I say, a small smile gracing my lips.

"I could teach you if you like. I've lived here for 15 years now." His teeth sparkle, and I actually take a minute to focus on his appearance. He is quite attractive with glistening blue eyes and blonde hair, no more than a year or two older. Why is it that bad boys are so gorgeous? The again, I'm not so sure Ramone is a bad guy.

"Madeleine?" My cheeks redden at his smirk.

"I'd like that." I respond, seeing him teaching me as a perfect opportunity to get closer to him.

He checks his watch. "Well, as much as I'm enjoying this, we should probably get back." The waiter gives us the check and Ramone swoops in on it the minute it hits the table. Something isn't right, but I can't determine what it is.

When the waiter returns with the card, my senses on high alert, I glance up. He has red hair that stands out amongst the crowd, and gray eyes. I could swear I've never seen the man before but something is familiar. Then I see it. For a split second the contact moves from its correct position and reveals a striking sliver of green. Zach.

"Madeleine, are you ready?" I smile at Ramone and nod. He takes my hand in his and leads me outside.

We make small talk on the ride on the way back and in minutes are in front of Jeramiah Howell's mansion.

"I've had a lovely time tonight Ramone." I say, and the weirdest thing happens. I find myself genuinely smiling.

"The feeling is mutual Miss Bridges," He smiles his perfect smile and kisses my hand, "Goodnight."

I watch from the front porch as he speeds away before stepping inside the occupied mansion. Zach has beat us home and sits on the couch watching an episode of some Chinese sitcom.

"What the hell were you doing there tonight?" I fume, causing him to turn off the television and face me.

"Did you think I was going to let you go on your own?" He says, words as bitter as mine.

"I thought you would be smart enough to keep a distance. You could've blown our cover!" He rises to his feet and walks over to where I stand, heels and all.

"Well, maybe if someone would wear the damn camera system I wouldn't have to be so close!" A full on screaming match has erupted.

"I'm a big girl Zach, I don't need you monitoring every single thing I do. I can handle myself." I spit out.

"You're just upset because you actually have a thing for this guy. Admit it." His words take me by surprise, but I don't let him have the satisfaction of knowing that.

"I do not have 'a thing' for him. He is a subject and I am working my mission."

"You were working your mission a little too close. You've only known this guy for a week!" With every word, we inch towards each other aggressively.

"_I'm _the one that was too close? You should've stayed back!" I say, infuriated at this point.

"And miss out on you playing grab-ass with a terrorist? I don't think so."

"What are you trying to get at Zach?"

"You're falling for him Cammie!" He shouts.

"He's a _mark_." I say.

"I think you should be telling yourself that, you're starting to believe their bull of a cover-up."

"Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'innocent until proven guilty'? We don't know that he's a bad guy. He's just a suspect."

"He's suspected of _terrorism, _and _illegal _weapons manufacturing. Nice people aren't generally accused of things like that."

"Nice people aren't usually assassins wither, are you telling me there aren't ever exceptions?" I say.

"Fine. Go ahead and get your heart played by a criminal." He snaps.

"It wouldn't be the first time." I bite back.

A heavy silence follows, the hurt evident on his face.

"Next time you decide to meet that scum bag I won't be there. Happy?"

"Very." I say, my voice louder than it needs to be.

"Well I'm not." He says.

"Got something you want to say to me Goode?"

"I'm saying that I know you like this guy, and I don't trust him!"

"I never said I liked him." My arms fold over my chest.

"You never denied it. Besides, I could tell from the way your eyes lit up for every lie he told you." He says, his glare meeting mine and locking in.

"Are you really going to stand there and say that to me? You've done your fair share of lying and I still fell in love with you." The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.

"I-" He stops, breaking our staredown.

"But you never loved me, did you? You wouldn't have left me if you did." A tear slides down my face. I will myself to not break down, not at a time like this when I'll appear weak and vulnerable. Not in front of Zach.

"I don't think they're criminals. And you're right. I like Ramone." I manage to say with the little ounce of strength I have left.

"You know what? I don't care anymore; but promise me that you'll be damn careful. I don't want to see you get hurt when it turns out he's everything we thought he was." His voice is softer, gentle even. He takes a step towards me and kisses my forehead. He steps around my motionless body and starts for the stairs before turning around and whispering in my ear, "And I want you to know, I loved you too."

By the time I can even think to turn around, he's gone.

**Love it? Hate it? What do you think? Any ideas you'd like to see me try to incorporate? You are all awesome and your support for this story is amazing. Thank you so much! **

**-psychicchameleon**


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